The Motor Report Auto News Blog

Some interesting post World War II collaboration is continuing to evolve with the news that PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) have agreed to begin a feasibility study on an extended technical collaboration in the field of electric powertrains.

This project, which will run over several months, relates to the development, the manufacture and the use of an electric powertrain for small urban vehicles.

The companies are taking the view that their co-operation on and possible joint development of electric vehicles would be mutually beneficial to both parties. In layman’s terms it will save them a truck load of money compared to what it would cost them to develop electric powertrains individually.
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Australians have been a little slow to embrace diesel powered cars but that has been changing in recent times in line with the steadily increasing cost of fuel. According to official VFACTS figures the first four months of 2008 has seen sales of diesels grow in all market sectors, with private passenger car diesel sales rising by 50.6 per cent, non-private by 64 per cent and SUV diesels by 48.5 per cent while petrol powered private car sales dropped by 5.0 per cent.

Diesel, despite costing more at the pump, offers genuine savings over petrol powered vehicles particularly with regard to larger heavier cars. Unfortunately, new vehicle buyers pay a premium at the showroom with the average diesel usually costing a significant premium over its petrol powered brethren—until now.
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Citroen has announced that its all-new C5 will make its world debut at the 2008 Brussels International Motor Show, on the 15th of January 2008. Citroen are keen to debut their new C5 and have chosen not to wait until the Geneva show in March, the traditional show at which to launch a new European model.

However, Australian purveyors of the C5 will have to wait until after the C5’s European launch. Citroen are expecting to have the C5 on-sale in Australia during the third quarter of 2008.
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Citroen have just announced details of their C-Cactus concept which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. Combining the efficiency benefits of diesel and electric powerplants the C-Cactus hybrid is Citroen’s vision of a cost effective and fuel efficient future.

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